hello, I'm still following, but not had chance to join in. I found a really interesting post by an ex-prostitute about why she is pro-abolition of prostitution and though it would be good to bring it into the discussion. Her thoughts represent some that we haven't heard in this debate. We've had MissHM's happy-with-the-work perspective, but this is an ex prostitute writing from the other side of the fence. I think she really highlights why we don't hear from people like this so much, they are in pain and trying to sort their lives out and don't have time/energy/resources to fight a public debate.
Some of what she says....
"One of the major reasons that I am pro-abolition is because I live on a daily basis with the damage that the sex trade did to me.
But more, I know too many wonderful, strong and highly courageous women who live every day with the trauma forced into their bodies and minds by the sex trade.
And like most women who manage to exit, I know deep inside my heart there are women and girls who had so much to give the world who did not survive.
The sex trade is a system that built on that many of the prostituted women and girls will commit suicide, will lose their mental health, will get so ill from STDs they cannot continue, will have parts of their body wrecked by the violence, will become addicted to drugs, will be the living dead ? and of course will murdered by johns or profiteers.
And some people dare to call that ?sex work?. I have no words for that, except look exited prostituted women in the eye and make that this damage is just the risk of the ?job?.
But, usually when speaking of ?sex work?, exited prostituted women are excluded from the discussion, they are too full of rage, have too much pain, too much raw grief ? they are too bloody real."